Straka sticking around

The Post is reporting this morning that the Rangers have locked up Martin Straka for an extension that would pay the 34-year-old forward $3.3 million in 2007-08.

I’d have to imagine this is one veteran Rangers fans are happy to have around. As was the case heading into this season, Straka had been weighing heading back to his native Czech Republic. But with 24 goals already this year, he now gets a $200,000 raise for next season.

41 Comments

Hmmm….I guess my idea of tradeing him and replacing him with a young kid isnt going to happen :) Oh well. Good to have him, but I hope it dosnt stop a kid from getting time…cant have 5 of the top 6 as vets next year liek this year. Not with BOTH Dawes and Prucha in teh mix, as well as possibly Immo…

Good move by Sather. Need to keep that line around as long as Jagr is around. I have been busting on Sather hard lately, but this is the right thing to do. Reward a guy for good work. Now go buy a Straka sweater!!!!!

You know, it really is possible to really rebuild and even contend with Straka and Jagr around. You’ve got to figure the two of them are probably looking at next year as perhaps their last one here. If only we could do things right now, then next year the team could actually really be competitive. Let’s spend the rest of this year putting Dawes on Shanny’s line, trying Immonen there or on the third line centering Cullen, and make our fourth line 2/3 of what it was last year with Hollweg and Ortmeyer and then add Betts in there. And let’s stop screwing around with Hossa, Hall, and Jason Ward (waive ’em or to Hartford), and rotate Orr in sparingly at best. Let’s maybe give Callahan a taste of a few games at this level. How about continuing to give Pock more ice and maybe working in Girardi or Baranka somewhere. Honestly, by this time next year, we could be looking at Jagr, Straka, Shanahan leading a crew of talented young players who have formed a core group that could really go somewhere in the playoffs, especially if next year we’re adding Staal (who will be added because his name alone is a ticket for the brass upstairs), Callahan and maybe Dubinsky. Even if Immonen doesn’t work out, maybe Dubinsky is our second line center.

I mean, at this point next year our team could be very solid and geared up for the next 4-5 years at least. I’m not sure why this cant happen.

great deal for the rangers to keep him at such a discount and also on another 1 year deal…and it REALLY says alot about straka as a person considering how much more he could have gotten on the open market. he’s having a career year and would have easily gotten more on the open market…

Peter, we all know it could work like that, but it won’t. It would require Sather to say he was wrong with too many players. Malik, Kasper, Ward, Hossa, Hall, and also by proxy D.Moore(for Hall), and depending on how many defensemen you want, Rachunek. That’s a VERY significant number of players for a GM to say “Whoops, my bad.”

Sam what’s Renney’s next plan on lines especially at center? Does he plan on trying J Ward at center again with Jagr or Shanny? Center candidates, besides Nylander,are Cullen, Krog, Betts, Ward, Prucha, Hollweg, Immo, Dubinsky, Helmenin. They need to get this straight or trade for a #1or2 center asap. Is he going to try Jagr/Nylander/Shanny or at least take one guy off the 1st line to stabilize the 2nd line?

Good move Glenn- Straka definitely deserves it, and furthermore, we only got him at a 200k increase. Respect due for loyalty to the rangers– he might have been able to get more outside of NY, but good thing we locked this guy up for another go-round. gotta love non-stop hustle.

guys the reality of the issue is last year was a HUGE SURPRISE and really was a fluke more than anything. management went into last year expecting to suck while the kids simmered and got ready to play in the nhl. this year is just a continuation of what last year should have been. management feels the kids aren’t ready still. that point we CAN argue if we want but there feeling is the only one that counts since they are in charge. so instead of trading the farm to make this team good RIGHT NOW (which we’d all flip out over) they are gonna ride it out with this group of 4 or 5 good players mixed with career minor leaguers. with the exception of blair betts….

jason ward
hossa
hall
orty
hollweg
orr
krog

are all free agents next year. we can choose to let them all walk or we can bring one or two back. my guess is orty and hollweg and maybe even orr will return. hossa i don’t know that one is a toss up. and those roster spots 3 or 4 spots should go to kids from hartford that are ready to go. if they don’t well we’ve got a huge mess and a management team with no plan.

Good signing. Regardless of how many kids we have coming along, we NEED capable veterans to show them the ropes on and off the ice. Straka has been a mini Graves out there this season, deserves every penny.

kovy, I agree. That’s also how we ended up with a top line with Straka and Nylander, as well as Roszival and Maleak as our top pair. They had sold away so much of the team before the lockout that all we had left were kids(I’m talking literal children) and career minor leaguers. Kevin Weekes was our starting goaltender. Add this up and the Rangers were just hoping for a lottery pick.

This is the reason we don’t have a 2nd line center or a legitimate top pair D-man. It’s also why we have a glut of bottom line players.

Out of that list I’d keep Orts and Hollweg to play on the 4th line with Betts, and Maybe I’d keep Hossa as insurance in the event that a kid doesn’t pan out on the big club next year.

Actually, would like to see some of them bought up now to see how they do. But of course it won’t happen.

Sam, might be time to do a little venting. Dubi (at BB) finally let it all hang out and vented in high gear.

I wrote the following there:

“Attaboy Dubi, great to see you venting. You’ve been kind enough to give them a lot of rope and they have abused your trust so spank them hard. Hope Sam follows your lead and does the same thing in his blog.

It feels like the pre-lockout days in Rangerland where Sather bought all kinds of junk (Ulanov, Karpa, Ciger, Toms, Dunham, etc. etc.) and tried to compete with that.

If Sather doesn’t make the playoffs, do you think Dolan will fire him??? I don’t. Dolan will find some excuse to make Sather look good even though he won’t be able to raise ticket prices, if he keeps his word and that’s always questionable.

I think Dolan is a zero when it comes to hockey knowledge and is incapable of picking another Prez/GM to take Sather’s place so Sather is safe no matter how bad he does.

Until ownership changes, we are damned!!”

Mitch, if you think breaking even in a deal is something to write home about, you have just accurately expressed the Ranger state of mind. How sad is that??

they aren’t going to get a center forget it. comrie was there would have been an awesome pick up rangers didn’t want to part with ANY decent kids for him. perrault was there rangers didn’t want to give him a two year deal. same with allison. if you think they are gonna throw the farm at doug weight your wrong. im telling you right now if glen is SMART he just stands pat and rides this season out because we aren’t good enough to win a cup. from the defense up we just aren’t good enough and mortgaging the future for a one and done against the devils or buffalo (which is what it looks like it will be) is not worth dubinsky, or prucha or whoever. face it folks they either bring kids up or they stand pat thats the way its going to be.

when you are a rebuilding team you don’t trade picks and especially first round picks in a salary capped league. if your not implying trading a first round pick you aren’t going to get a good center for a 3rd or 4th round pick. go back and take a look at what it took carolina to get doug weight last year and they were a cup team. for a team like ours its not worth it at all.

Hey guys did anyone notice how everytime the Rangers enter NJ zone they all get covered right away. And every time Jersey would enter Rangers zaone they always have somebody open to pass the puck to… Also PK was terrible last I don’t know what mushrooms was rosen eating when in 3rd he said “Rangers PK is doing a gerat job!” when all they did was stand around not trying to take the puck away from NJ. This team sucks inside out with the exception of the first line and some D (Tyutin, Pock, Rachuneck).

Rozy stopped playing the body. Cullen is just 3rd liner – can not pass the puck can not shoot the puck either all he has is speed. Krog was big mistake – I don’t like this guy at all no passing ability (with the exceptio of 1 pass to Cullen all his other passes misconnected) can not hold on to the puck even if his life depended on it. Holloweg -love this guy but how can Renney expect more offence from the guy when one of his linemates is Orr??? Prucha does not fit on 4th line. Why was Betts playing with Shanny???

Why does everyonehave such a problem with Hossa?? I made it a point to watch him closely last couple games, and he appears to be hustling, back checking and is very strong with th puck. Granted, he’s no Marion, but he seems to be a good solid two way player.

think of the steps that could have been made this season if some kids got a real shot to play and learn and get better or fail trying. But they havenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t and next year it has to start over again while we waste a year

Great Hossa back checks and is strong with the puck. He never does anything with the puck and can not set another player up. What Hossa does could be done by a player currently in Hartford who actually has some possible upside. Hossa is what he is a fringe player.

staal will NOT be in the lineup next year. we arent getting rid of that many defensemen. they will keep rozy…and rightfully so! kasper and malik are gone IMO which means girardi and baranka will be here. Staal will be in the AHL next year barring any sort of injuries.

OK- I wrote out a huge response to Lenny’s suggestion twice, and both times it didn’t go through. So I’m going to give you the short version and deal with any criticisms, of which I’m sure there will be many, as they arise.

im happy about straka resigning. im glad jagr will be joined with at least one of his top mates, who is also his czech mate.

about nylander though, what happened to him in the devils game that now he suddenly is having headaches? im really hoping its not serious & he too will resign.

i hate to bring up the question, but shanahan’s going to be 39 next year. what makes everyone think that he’ll be on any team next year? he recently stated that he was happy to be chosen to go to the all star game b/c it might be his last. granted an all star game, is just an all star game, but shanny to me seems pretty unsure about remaining in the league. i would of course want him to stay, but we cant let go of the possibility.

and if staal isnt on the team next year, then im boycotting my season tickets. enough with the “they’re too young” already!